Bend the knees and place the soles of both feet flat on the floor, directly in front of the buttocks.
Keep the knees and feet together throughout the practice. Interlock the fingers of both hands, place the palms under the back of the head and let the elbows touch the floor.
Breathe in, and while breathing out, slowly lower the legs to the right, trying to bring the knees down to the floor. The feet should remain in contact with each other, although the left foot will move slightly off the floor.
At the same time, gently turn the head and neck in the opposite direction to the legs. This will give a uniform twisting stretch to the entire spine. Hold the breath in the final position while mentally counting three seconds.
While breathing in, raise both legs to the upright position. Keep the shoulders and elbows on the floor throughout. Repeat on the left side to complete one round.
Practise 5 complete rounds.
Breathing
Exhale while lowering the legs to the sides.
Hold the breath in the final position.
Inhale while raising the legs.
Awareness
On the twisting stretch of the paraspinal and abdominal muscles, and the breath.
Benefits
This asana gives an excellent stretch to the abdominal muscles and organs, and thereby helps to improve digestion and eliminate constipation. The twisting stretch of the spinal muscles relieves the strain and stiffness caused by prolonged sitting.
The distance of the feet from the buttocks determines the placement of the spinal twist. If the feet are about 60 cm from the buttocks, the adjustment is in the lower area of the spine.
As the feet approach the buttocks, the adjustment rises up the spine. When the feet are next to the buttocks, the adjustment is in the area of the cardiac plexus.
Therefore, moving the feet about 3 cm each time works on each vertebra, bringing suppleness to the whole spinal column.